Charles maschmeyer



'0'. MASGHMEYER.

(No Model.)

LAMP STANDARD.

lhvrrn Sra'rns a'rnr FFlQ CHARLES MASCHMEYER, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT,ASSIGNOR TO EDWVARD MILLER & 00., OF SAME PLACE.

LAMP-STANDARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,014, dated July 5,18 87.

Application filed March 30, L887.- Serial No. 232,961. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it k nown that I, CHARLES MASOHMEYER, of Meriden, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Im- 5provementin Lamp-Standards; and I do hereby declare the following, whentaken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters ofreference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification,and represent, in-

Figure 1, a side view of the standard and lamp complete; Fig. 2, avertical central section through the upper part of the outer tube, :5showing the inner tube and the clamping devices; Fig. 3, a perspectiveview of the clamp D detached; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the supportE detached; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the ring G detached, showing.the inner 2o tube; Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9, modifications.

This invention relates to an improvement in.

that class ofsupports for lamps which are designed to stand upon thefloor and support the lamp as upon a column, commonly called standardlamps.

It is desirable in this class of lamps that the standard should beadjustable, so as to set the lamp at different elevations. To this endthe standards are usually made of telescopic char- 0 acter-tl1at is tosa a tube rises from a base, and within that tube is a second tube orrod, arranged to slide up and down in the outer tube, the lamp beingsupported upon the upper end of the inner tube or rod. Some de- 5 viceis necessary to hold the inner or direct lamp-supporting rod at anypoint of elevation to which it may be desired to set the lamp, yet suchsecuring device should be simple, or so as not to require anyconsiderable amount of ingenuity to work it. For a successful lamp theadjusting device should be of such a character that it will positivelyhold the lamp at any position to which it may be desired to set it, andyet so as not at any time to fully release the rod, for the reason that,suppose the central rod to be raised and set at such raised position, ifupon the release of the device by which it is set the rod is freed itwill instantly and forcibly descend under the weight of the lamp, andfrom such securing devices acci' dents frequently occur, so that it isdesirable, if not necessary,that the securing device shall be of such acharacter that it automatically maintains a control of the sliding rodor tube.

To produce such an adjusting device is the 5 object of my invention.

A represents the outer tube, which rises from a base, the base beingadapted to rest upon the floor and support the standard in the usualmanner; 13, the inner tube, which is vertically adjustable in the outertube, and which carries the lamp upon its upper end.

i To the outer tube, and preferably in the casing C at its upper end,Iarrange the lamp D. This clamp is best made in the form of a ring, (seeFig; 3,) the internal diameter of which is somewhat greater than theinner tube, B. It is hungto the outer tube upon a pivot, c, at one sideof the ring, the axis of the pivot being at right angles to the axis ofthe tubes, and so that the clamp may swing up and down. Theringbeingthushung to thetube A, i the inner tube,l3,is passed downthrough the ring and into the tube A. If the clamp D be left free, itnaturally falls of its own weight, 7 5 turning upon its pivot into aninclined position, as seen in Fig. 2, and the clamp in so turning uponits pivot comes to a bearing upon the inner tube upon opposite sides, asseen in Fig. 2, thepoints ofbearing being in. avcrtical 8o central planeat right angles to the pivot on which the clamp is hung, and because ofas suming this inclined position and coming to a bearing against theinner tube the inner tube is grasped between the opposite sides of thering, and so held against possible farther dcscent, because whateverforce or weight may be applied to the rod or tube B only tends tofurther turn the ring downward upon its pivot and make the clamp orresistance to the de- 0 scent of the rod stronger.

Upon. lifting the rod or tube B the friction between the clamp and thering will be sufficient to raise the ring to such an extent as to offerno resistance to the rising of the inner tube, as seen in broken lines,Fig. 2, and. so that while the innertube may be freel y raised the clampengages the inner tube or rod upon the instant of its being released, soas to prevent possible accidental descent. 10o

Below the clamp D a collar, E, is fixed upon the inside of the outertube, having an inwardly-projecting shoulder, F. This collar issubstantially concentric with the inner tube. Within the collar E, andadapted to rest on the shoulder F, is a collar, G, the internal diameterof which is slightly larger than the inner tube, B, and so that the tubemay work freely up and down within the said ring G. The tube B isconstructed with a vertical groove, b, upon one side, and upon theinside of the ring G is an inwardly-projecting stud, (1, adapted to workin the groove 1), and so as to engage the ring G with the tubecircumferentially, yet so as to allow the tube B to freely move up anddown; but any rotation of the inner tube or red, B, will be imparted tothe ring G. This ring G lies directly below the clamp D, as seen in Fig.2. In its normal condition the ring rests upon the flange F, or anysuitable rest provided for it within the outer tube.

The ring G is constructed with radially-projecting trunnions e 0,preferably atdiametrically opposite points, and the surrounding collar Eis constructed with V-shaped recesses H in its upper edge, in which thesaid trunnions will stand when the parts are in the normal condition,and as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. The recess H is open upward and thesides diverge, so as to present inclined planes to the respectivetrunnions; hence, if the ring G be rotated in either direction, theresult will be that the trunnions will ride up the inclines in thestationary collar E, causing the ring G to rise, and if the ring Grises, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 2, it will strike the lowerside of the clamp D, and cause that to rise accordingly, as alsoindicated in broken lines, Fig. 2.

When it is desirable to lower the elevation of the lamp, take hold ofthe inner tube or rod, B, and give to it a rotative movement, whichrotative movement will, through the groove 1) in the tube B and the studd in the ring G,impart a corresponding rotation to the ring G, causingit to rise from its seat and raise the clamp, as indicated in brokenlines, Fig. 2. This operation will raise the clamp and leave the rodfree to be moved downward so long as the tube or rod B is retained inthe position to which it was turned to raise the ring G; but if the tubeor rod B be released then the ring G will be free to fall to its seat,thereby leaving the clamp D also free to fall, and engagement isinstantly made between the clamp and inner'tube or rod, so that unlessthe tube or rod B be held in its rotated position sufficient to maintainthe ring G in its ele vated position the clamp will be free to engage,and descent of the inner rod or tube is impossible. The rotation of theinner rod or tube necessary-for thus releasing the clamp can only beintentionally produced; hence there is no liability to accidentalreleasing of the inner tube, and accidents due to such accidentalreleasing of the rod are avoided.

The clamping and releasing mechanism leaves the inner rod or tube freeto be raised by a simple vertical movement, the clamp having no effectto resist raising of the inner rod or tube.

The casing which incloses the clamp may be made an ornament upon thestandard, and in fact some such case is desirable upon the upper end ofthe fixed tube.

\Vhile I prefer to make the clamp in the form of a ring, as I havedescribed, it will be evident that it does not necessarily surround thetube; but may be made, as seen in Fig. 6, to partially surround thetube, so as to come to a bearing upon opposite sides of the tube. Iwish, therefore, by the term ring shape to be understood as including aclamp which so surrounds the inner tube as to take a bearing on the tubeat opposite points, said bearing-points being nearly at right angles tothe axis of the pivot upon which the clamp is hung.

The releasing device G, while preferably made in the form of a ring, maybe made as a segment, as seen in Fig. 7, it only being necessary that itshall surround the tube B sufficiently to retain its relative position.

I have represented the cam-like action be tween the ring G and its fixedsupport in the outer tube as produced by a V-shaped groove in thesurrounding ring E and trunnions on the ring G, and this I prefer, asbeing a simple construction; but the cam-like action between the ring Gand its support, whereby, under rotation of the tube B, verticalmovement is imparted to the ring G, may be otherwise produced-say, as byconstructing the ring G with an incline upon its lower edge, and thesupport E with a corresponding incline, as seen in Fig. 8, there being alike incline at opposite points between the two parts, and so that asthe ring G is rotated in either direction it will ride up one incline orthe other, according to the direction in which it is turned. I thereforedo not wish to be understood as li miting the releasing device to aspecific construction of the rotative ring G and its support in theouter tube, it only being essential that the ring G and its supportshall present between them a circumferentially-inclined bearing surface,so that under the rotation of the ring G it will by such inclinedsurface be forced to rise.

While I prefer to make the groove in the tube or rod B and theprojection in the ring G to work in the groove 1), this order maybereversed, as seen in Fig. 9-that is, the rib made .on the tube andgroove in the ring--it only being essential that the inner rod or tubeand the ring G shall be so united as to permit the tube or rod to workup and down freely through the ring G, yet so as to couple the two thatany rotation imparted to the rod B will be imparted to the ring G.

I claim- 1. In a lamp-standard, the combination of an outer tube and atube or rod vertically arranged within said outer tube, the one fixedand the other adjustable, a clamp of substantially ring shape hung inthe outer tube, so as to swing in a vertical plane, and through whichclamp the vertical tube passes, the said clamp being adapted to engagethe inner tube, and a ring, G, surrounding the inner tube and supportedwithin the outer tube, the said ring G and the inner rod or tube, B,constructed the one with a radial projection and the other with acorresponding groove, whereby the two are coupled against rotarymovement, but free vertically, the ring G and its fixed supportconstructed the one with a circumferentially-inclined bearing-surfaceand the other with a corresponding-working surface, all substantially asde scribed, and whereby under the rotation of the inner tube both rotaryand vertical movement will be imparted'to said ring G to release saidclamp.

2. The combination of the outer tube, A, the inner tube, B, theringshapcd clamp D, hinged to the tube A at one side of the inner tube,the said inner tube adapted to work up and down through the said clampD, a ring, G, supporting said clamp, supported in the outer tube, thesaid inner tube and ring G, the one c011- structed with a groove and theother with a corresponding projection,w11ereby the two will I

